Paradigm Shifts
Like my Dad says, "You don't know what you don't know." Until you experience the outer limits of a particular endeavor, you can't truly understand what is achievable. That experience completely and permanently rearranges your assumptions of what is possible. In other words, it causes a paradigm shift.
I have had many such experiences. My first was in a 1991 Corvette ZR-1. A friend let me drive his nearly 400-hp speed machine. Prior to that, I thought my 1988 Mustang GT with 300 lb.-ft. of torque was fast, but the Corvette ZR-1 was considerably faster. The Corvette ZR-1 changed my perceptions of what fast really meant.
My next foray into rearranging mental perceptions was in a modified 4-wheel-drive Chevy Blazer. The driver said to me, "See that nearly vertical incline covered by soft dirt and slippery rocks? We're going to drive straight to the top." My response was something like, "Hmm, huh, what... are you kidding?"
We proceeded slowly and cautiously. Looking out the windshield, I couldn't even see the ground; all I could see was bright blue sky. Halfway up the mountain, we came to a complete stop. Gripped by visions of our sliding backwards, out of control, I asked to get out, which was of course a ridiculous request driven purely by anxiety and fear. That experience changed my beliefs about what a talented off-road driver and good 4-wheel-drive vehicle could accomplish.
Several years later my perceptions of fast were again changed when my friend let me drive his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11—a 4-cylinder, 1100-cc motorcycle that could do the quarter mile in 10.25 seconds at 135 mph! Like many motorcycles, it could do wheelies, but this bike did so with almost no provocation; all it needed was full throttle in first gear. It seemed to enjoy going fast, practically begging the rider to push its limits.
Recently I drove a vehicle that changed my perceptions of what a luxury car should be. The $70,000 (with options) Audi Q7 featured extremely comfortable seats, an optional air suspension that maintained a level ride under all conditions, and an impressive 14-speaker Bose surround sound system. What impressed me most was the seamless integration of its leading-edge technology features such as Active Cruise Control, which automatically maintains a user-defined distance behind the car in front, and Lane Assist, which alters the driver if he is about to make an unsafe lane change. In a vehicle like the Q7, driving becomes engaging and entertaining, and easier and safer as a result.
Let us know about your paradigm shifts.—
